A Harrogate schoolgirl is looking to book her place on the Ladies PGA Tour.

Thirteen-year-old Mila Dodds, a pupil at Harrogate Grammar School, hopes to be awarded a wildcard to enter the golf tour.

A wildcard is a discretionary invitation given to players who may not have qualified for a LPGA event through standard match play. They are determined by the player’s potential to enhance a competition or bring additional appeal.

Dodds has not qualified for a LPGA tour event, but the 0.8 handicap golfer believes her age would be a significant factor in adding to its appeal.

So how does one so young get so good at golf?

In an interview with the Stray Ferret, she told us how she came to reach her level:

The young golfer currently has three separate coaches.

Jack Backhouse has coached her in Harrogate since she was five.

After being selected for the England Golf regional squad for 2024/25, she is coached by Craig Fricker during her time with them.

During the winter, she also has group sessions with Andrew Nicholson – a highly respected golf coach who has coached numerous European Tour winners and national champions.

Dodds says that Nicholson has helped her with the mental aspect of the game – not getting frustrated after a bad shot.

She added that the best part of her game is her driver, which she can hit 230 yards. Anyone that plays golf knows that is incredibly impressive for a 13-year-old.

The teenage prodigy recently placed sixth in the Yorkshire Ladies Championship, where she competed against some of the region’s top adult players.

She was the youngest by around 3 years, competing against some golfers as old as 45.

She also recently won the under-14s Irish Junior Open, a European tour. It was played at the Mount Wolseley golf resort, which the 13-year-old said is the best course she’s played on.

Dodds is currently a 0.8 handicap, meaning on average she shoots 0.8 shots over par per round.

To be a scratch golfer you must be shooting par for the course almost every time you play.

The standard par on an 18-hole golf course is 72. The young talent says her best round is exactly that.

Professional dreams

Dodds was selected to be part of the England Golf regional squad for the 2024/25 season. She was the youngest girl ever to be selected.

The junior said that it was the proudest moment in her short but illustrious career so far.

Her dad said that they are currently talking with the England coaches to see if a wildcard could be afforded to her for a LPGA tournament “in the immediate future."

If she is not afforded a place on the LPGA Tour, the young golfer said that she would like to go to America for a golf scholarship in the future.

This would likely be a big step forward in her dreams of becoming a professional golfer.

Notable names in the game who took the same pathway are Jon Rahm, Luke Donald, Annika Sörenstam, and Celine Boutier.

With so many big-name golfers to look up to, who is Dodds’ inspiration? She said:

It is clear that the youngster has maturity beyond her years. In a sport as unforgiving as golf, this is an excellent trait to have.

Dodds has been afforded a last-minute entry into the English Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship at The Alwoodley Golf Club this coming Monday (June 16).

The competition is one of England’s premier amateur golf tournaments for women, and attracts competitors from all over the world.

A strong performance there could show a glimpse of what’s to come in the extremely bright future of Harrogate’s young golf star.